Apparatus for producing pulp



(No Model.)

J. B. CARTER.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PULP. N0. 485,090. Patented Oct. 25, 1892.

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5o tral portion.

"pulley D and also with a second bearing or support E. The lower end ofthis revolving UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JOHN B. CARTER, OF KOKOMO,INDIANA.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PULP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 485,090, dated October25, 1892.

Application filed April 2, 1891. Serial No. 387,413. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, JOHN B. CARTER, of Kokomo, in the county of Howardand State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Apparatus for Producng Pulp; and I do hereby declare the followmg tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and useit, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in an apparatus for reducingpulp, which will be fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in theclaims.

The object of my invention is to produce a machine which accomplishesthe reduction and felting of the stock bya single operation, as fullyspecified hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine whichembodies myinvention complete, one end of the tank being removed and thereducing mechanism shown in cross-section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of therubbing-wheel, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged per spective of a portion ofthe rubbing-wheel.

, A indicates a. tank, which is of: any suitble size, shape, orconstruction that may be preferred, across the top of which transverselyextends a beam B. J ournaled in this beam" 13, at any suitable pointbetween its ends, is a revolving vertical shaft 0, which is provided atits upper end with an operatingshaft G extends through the beam 13 anysuitable distance and has rigidly secured to its lower end a circularcasting F. This cast-- ing F constitutes what I term a rubbingwheel; andit consists of the solid central portion, to the center of which therevolving shaft is secured, and the flutes or troughs G, which areU-shaped, as shown, and extend outward from the periphery of the centralportion in the radii of the wheel. These flutes or troughs G have theirupper edges H in a horizontal line with each other and with the plane ofthe upper face of the said cen- The inner and outer ends of the troughsG are left open for the circulation of water, to be fully describedhereinafter, and these troughs project below the central port-ion anysuitable distance, as shown. Placed over the entire surface of thisrubhing-wheel from the shaft (J to the outer edges of the flutes ortroughs G is a smooth wire fabric I.

Secured to the under side of the beam B s a circular box J, which justcovers the solid central portion of the rubbing-wheel and extendsdownward nearly to the wire fabric I, leaving a small space between theloweredge of the box or casing and the said fabric, so that as the wheelis made to revolve it Wlll not rub against the box; also, extendingdownward from the beam Bis a circular box or casing K, which extendsaround the casing J and just covers the upper faces of the flutes ortroughs G. This casing K, like the cas ng J, extends downward to nearthe rubbing fabric, but leaving a space between the twofor the samepurpose that the space is left between the casing J and the fabric.space between the two casings or boxes form a feeding-box in which theprepared wood,

straw, or plants L to be operated upon are placed. Extending downwardfrom the beam 8 and having their upper ends secured thereto are asuitable number of stops M, which extend into the space between thecasings and prevent the stock which is being operated upon by therevolving rubbing-wheel from moving with the wheel.

In placing the wire rubbing-surface upon The the wheel I take a piece ofwire fabric sufiiciently large to cover the entire surface of thecentral casting F and the flutes or troughs G and over the edges of thelatter and secure this fabric in position by placing around the outeredges of the troughs a hoop N, and

secure this hoop in place by means of a suit-' able number ofscrew-bolts O, which pass through the hoop and the wire fabric, which isbent downward around the outer edges of the troughs.

The action of this machine and its specific purpose whereby itperformsthe double function of a reducer and beater are as follows: The stock tobe operated upon having been previously treated in any well-known orother manner to make it soft and pliant, it is placed in the feed-boxofthe machine, as shown, and as the rubbing-wheel is revolved the smoothsurface of the wire fabric continually rubs the stock, while at the sametime the water is being agitated and rapidly carried through the troughsand through the wire fabric in contact with the fiber which is beingrubbed off of the stock by centrifugal force, as will be readilyunderstood. In this manner-the fibers which are rubbed "off by therubbing-surface are continually subjected to water, which washes thefibers and carries them out to dead or still water in the tank, wherethey sink to the bottom. As the wheel revolves a very small portion ofthe fibers are rolled along on the top 5 of thewire fabric and passoutbetween the fabric and the lower edge of the circular casting K,while all the rest of the fiber passes through the wire-cloth into thetroughs and is carried outward by the water passing through them. Thisreduced fiber, which remains on top of the cloth, keeps the cloth out ofcontact with the unreduced stock, and further reduction of stock ceasesuntil this fiber is rolled and washed by the water sufficiently toreduce it small enough to be forced through the wire. The pulp remainingon the wire alfords an opportunity for rubbing it between the cloth andthe unreduced stock, which gives to the pulp the same felting qualitythat the ordinary long and tedious process of beating does. As soon asthe red uced fiber is beaten in this manner sufficiently to pass throughthe wirecloth the rubbing-surface again comesin contact with theunreduced stock and the same operation is repeated. The fiber rubbed olfis thus confined between the unreduced stock and the wire-cloth androlled and washed until small enough to pass through the meshes of thewire-cloth, and this is what in my process I term beating.

Heretofore wood or fibrous plants in their natural state have beensubjected to a grinding or cutting process, which merely reducestheirfiber to a certain degree of fineness With- 7 giving toit thisquality. My invention differs from the ordinary method in first treatingthe 1 fineness or coarseness of the pulp is regulated by the size of themeshes of the wire-cloth, v

The Y which is placed upon the upper surface of the rubbing-wheel.

It will be seen from the above that I am enabled to greatly reduce thecost of producing pulp ready to be converted into paper by manufacturingit in a single operation without being subsequently treated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A machine for producingpulp, comprising a tank, a revolving wheel having a wire fabric on itsupper surface, troughsunder the said fabric having inlet and outletopenlngs, and a feeding chamber or box adjacent to the wheel in whichthe wood to be reduced is placed, substantially as shown.

2. A machine for producing pulp, comprising a tank, arevolvingrubbing-wheel having radial troughs with open ends, a wire fabrc placed over the troughs, and a feeding-box n which the material to beoperated upon 1s placed, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for producing pulp, a tank, a revolving wheel within thetank having troughs which have open ends, a rubbing fabric placed overthe troughs, and a feedingbQX in which the material to be. fed isplaced, all combined substantially as set forth.

4. In a machine for producing pulp, a tank, a rubbing-wheel within thetank having a central portion, troughs extending outward from itsperiphery, a rubbing fabric placed over the troughs,- and a feeding-boxin which the material to be operated upon is placed, combinedsubstantially as specified.

5. In a machine for producing pulp, a tank, a revolving wheel having acentral portion,

troughs extending outward therefrom and having their lower portionsextending below the said central portion and provided with rubbingfabric placed over the troughs, and a feed-box in which the material tobe operated upon is placed, combined substantially as described.

6. A machine for producing pulp, compr1sing a tank containing water, ahorizontal revolving wheel having a rubbing-surface, and a feed-boxaround the wheel-shaft, the said wheel and the lower end of the feed-boxbeing below water-line, substantially as shown and described.

7. A rubbing-wheel for the pulp-producing machine, consisting of acentral horizontal portion, troughs extending from the per1phcry of thehorizontal portion having open ends, and a rubbing fabric placed overthe troughs, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. CARTER.

